Rescue harness



y 1967 R. w. WINDLE 3,322,102

RESCUE HARNESS Filed Nov. 16, 1965 INVENTOR. Qaaafir W MNDLEI United States Patent 3,322,102 RESCUE HARNESS Robert W. Windle, Front Royal, Va., assignor to Mine Safety Appliances Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 508,107 3 Claims. (Cl. 11996) This invention relates to a rescue harness and more particularly to a rescue harness for supporting an unconscious person on a safety line.

It is essential that an unconscious and non-breathing victim of electric shock be given artificial resuscitation in the shortest possible time. In an effort to meet the situation where a lineman or the like has suffered electric shock while working on a pole or tower, many procedures have been advanced to administer effective artificial resuscitation while the victim is still on the pole or tower and While he is being lowered to the ground. An essential element of effective resuscitation is keeping the victims air passages clear of restrictions due to body position or bodily pressures. Effective resuscitation is extremely diflicult, if not impossible, if the victim is slumped over or if there are unnatural external pressures exerted in the diaphragm region. To obviate these difliculties and to maintain the victim in a vertical position with his arms close to his sides so that he may be threaded through a tower structure or guy wires while being lowered to the ground, the rescue harness placed on the victim must not restrict air passages, exert pressure in the diaphragm region, permit the victim to assume a slumped position nor raise his arms as he is being lowered to the ground.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a rescue harness for supporting an unconscious worker on a safety line that maintains the victim in an upright position, exerts no pressure on the diaphragm region and allows the arms to remain at the sides of the victim as he is lowered to the ground. Another object is to provide such a harness that is simple, inexpensive and can be readily placed on an unconscious victim from the front or rear over other harnesses or equipment.

For further comprehension of this invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, as are more fully described in the appended claims, reference is made to the accompanying drawing wherein the harness is shown in plan view.

Referring now to the drawing, the harness assembly is comprised of a vertical strap member 11 having secured at its upper and lower ends link connectors 12 and 13. A chest strap 14 is secured to the upper portion of the vertical strap member, as by stitching 15. The chest strap 14 has free end portions with a quick-fit adapter 16 secured to one end and the other end constructed in such a manner that it may fit through and be held rigidly in place by the adapter when the chest strap is in position on the victim. Leg straps 17 and 18 are secured to the lower portion of the vertical strap member and extend outwardly and downwardly from the common point of connection 19. A quick-fit snap 20 and 21 is secured to the free end of each leg strap to releasably connect the leg straps to the vertical strap member through link connector 13 when in position on the wearer. When putting the harness on an unconscious victim, as a lineman on a tower, the rescuer normally is behind the worker. The strap 11 is positioned lengthwise of the torso at the front of the victim. The chest strap is buckled at the back of the victim, and the leg straps are looped around the leg and fastened to link connector 13. All these connections are readily accessible. The safety line is connected to link connector 12. Thus, substantially all the weight is borne by the vertical strap 11 and the leg straps, the tension maintains strap 11 in a vertical position. The chest strap holds the upper torso against the vertical strap, keeping the torso straight and vertical. As the chest strap carries substantially no weight, it does not pull up under the arms.

Under some circumstances, it may be more convenient to position the strap 11 on the back of the victim.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of practice of my invention and have described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. A harness comprising a vertical strap member having an upper end and a lower end, a horizontal chest strap secured to the upper portion of said vertical strap member having free end portions and means for adjustably and releasably connecting said free end portions, a pair of opposed leg straps extending outwardly and downwardly from said vertical strap member, each said leg strap secured at one end to the lower portion of said vertical strap member and having on the other end means for releasable connection to said lower end, and means secured to said upper end adapted for connection to a safety line.

2. A harness comprising a vertical strap member having an upper end and a lower end, a first connector secured to said upper end, a second connector secured to said lower end, a chest strap normal to said vertical strap member having free end portions and secured at its central portion to the upper portion of said vertical strap member, means for adjustably and releasably connecting said free end portions, a pair of opposed leg straps extending outwardly and downwardly from said vertical strap member, each leg strap secured at one end to a common point of the lower portion of said vertical strap member and having on the other end fastening means for releasable connection to said second connector.

3. A harness assembly according to claim 2 in which said fastening means are quick-fit snaps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 634,604 10/1899 Asche 182- 3 1,642,911 9/1927 Thurnau 182-3 1,800,421 4/1931 Wickershay et al. 11996 2,605,744 8/1952 Urbanski 11996 2,643,803 6/1953 Bates 224-5 2,670,712 3/1954 Patience et al 547l 2,699,284 1/1955 Rose 182- 3 2,960,180 -11/1960 Wachtel 182-3 2,979,028 4/1961 Zakely 11996 3,176,793 4/1965 Hlacia 11996 X SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Examiner. 

1. A HARNESS COMPRISING A VERTICAL STRAP MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER END AND A LOWER END, A HORIZONTAL CHEST STRAP SECURED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID VERTICAL STRAP MEMBER HAVING FREE END PORTIONS AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY AND RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID FREE END PORTIONS, A PAIR OF OPPOSED LEG STRAPS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID VERTICAL STRAP MEMBER, EACH SAID LEG STRAP 